Plant Manager

POSITION PURPOSE

Reporting to the VP Operations, the Plant Manager is responsible for leading safe, reliable, and cost-effective operations at one of GMA Garnet USA’s U.S. processing sites. For the Coos Bay, Oregon location, this role also includes accountability for site-specific requirements related to MSHA-covered operations, dock operations, harbor safety and emergency response obligations, and coordination with local port, rail, contractor, and regulatory stakeholders. The role is accountable for production performance, maintenance and asset reliability, quality, regulatory compliance, people leadership, continuous improvement, inventory accuracy, financial control, and overall site results.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES | Production

• Direct plant personnel to achieve key performance indicators (KPIs) related to safety, quality, production, throughput, recovery/yield where applicable, on-time shipment performance, inventory accuracy, and budget.

• Achieve monthly and annual production targets while managing schedule attainment, downtime, and labor productivity.

• Develop and execute production schedules to meet customer demand efficiently, balancing plant capacity, raw material availability, packaging, labor, maintenance windows, and shipment requirements.

• Maintain operational efficiency for incoming and outgoing shipments, including loadout, carrier coordination, warehouse flow, and site logistics performance.

• Oversee Coos Bay dock-related operations, including coordination of vessel, rail, truck, and warehouse activities; safe material unloading and transfer; dock maintenance awareness; and operational readiness for marine and port-related logistics.

• Manage warehouse operations, including receiving, issuing, handling, and storage of materials.

• Ensure all operating equipment is maintained in safe working conditions through effective maintenance planning, preventive maintenance, outage planning, and asset reliability management.

• Prepare and review daily, weekly, monthly, and annual production reports; analyze plant KPIs; and drive corrective actions to address gaps in safety, quality, throughput, cost, and service.

• Oversee site inventory control for raw materials, work-in-process, finished goods, packaging, stockpiles, waste piles, and critical spare parts, including cycle counts, reconciliations, and variance resolution.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES | Quality

• Maintain the highest standards of quality across all areas of responsibility.

• Ensure departments meet or exceed company productivity and quality policies.

• Resolve operational discrepancies in accordance with established procedures.

• Audit plant performance and implement continuous improvement initiatives, including root cause problem solving, corrective and preventive actions, and customer complaint resolution.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES | Financial

• Develop, monitor, control, and allocate departmental operating budgets, forecasts, and monthly cost performance.

• Control departmental expenses in line with approved budgets, including labor, maintenance, freight, utilities, packaging, and consumables.

• Analyze operating results and budget requests to identify waste elimination, productivity, yield, and cost-reduction opportunities.

• Ensure timely purchasing of packaging materials, consumables, parts, and approved capital items while supporting working capital discipline and inventory optimization.

• Achieve cost targets aligned with business plans.

• Prioritize, justify, and execute approved capital projects to improve safety, reliability, capacity, quality, and cost performance.

The position has delegated financial authority in accordance with GMA’s Delegation of Authority, as amended from time to time.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES | People

• Develop subordinate employees through recruitment, onboarding, training, coaching, and performance management.

• Execute plant employment decisions within approved staffing levels.

• Encourage strong employee/management communication, morale, motivation, and loyalty.

• Foster a professional, respectful, and productive workplace culture.

• Build frontline leadership capability through clear accountability, succession planning, skills matrix development, and standardized work.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES | Occupational Health and Safety

• Ensure compliance with all applicable safety, health, and environmental regulations and GMA policies, working closely with the safety team on program execution while retaining accountability for site safety performance.

• Maintain compliance readiness for applicable MSHA requirements, including inspections, guarding, training, documentation, corrective actions, and safe operating practices for covered plant activities.

• Manage safety obligations associated with Coos Bay dock operations, including applicable Federal OSHA requirements, contractor safety expectations, dock-access controls, and safe work practices for employees, contractors, visitors, and third parties operating near the dock.

• Maintain a safe workplace for employees, contractors, and visitors.

• Ensure all personnel use required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

• Promote a strong safety culture and continual improvement mindset.

• Ensure Management of Change is applied before implementing process modifications.

• Provide appropriate training and resources to support safe operations.

• Lead incident investigations, corrective actions, emergency preparedness, and contractor safety management for the site in coordination with the safety team.

• Participate in Coos Bay harbor safety and emergency response activities, including coordination with the local Harbor Safety Committee, emergency-response organization, Coast Guard, Oregon DEQ, and other authorities as required for spill response, vessel incidents, dredging, cybersecurity, and harbor operating requirements.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES | Environmental Compliance

• Ensure compliance with applicable environmental regulations and permits, working closely with the environmental team on permit compliance and program execution while retaining accountability for site environmental performance.

• Support environmentally responsible operations and continuous environmental improvement.

• Ensure dust, noise, and waste are managed in accordance with company and regulatory standards.

• Maintain readiness for environmental inspections, reporting, and permit compliance across air, water, waste, and stormwater requirements, as applicable to the site, in coordination with the environmental team.

• Support environmental compliance for Coos Bay-specific operations, including wastewater treatment, discharge permits, stormwater controls, spill prevention and response obligations, and proper handling of recycling, waste, and filter cake materials.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES | Business Administration

• Develop, implement, maintain, and audit plant policies, procedures, and documentation.

• Maintain accurate business records, reports, and databases.

• Maintain effective communication with employees, customers, and vendors.

• Prepare management reports and analysis as required.

• Present a positive and professional image of GMA Garnet (USA) Corp at all times.

• Work cross-functionally to align site execution with business priorities and support consistent standards across GMA Garnet USA operations.

• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with local Coos Bay stakeholders, including the Port of Coos Bay, Coos Bay Rail Line, harbor safety representatives, emergency-response contacts, contractors, utility providers, and local regulatory agencies that affect site continuity and logistics performance.

RELATIONSHIPS 

The Plant Manager is required to develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders.

Internal

• VP Operations

• Operations, Maintenance, Warehouse, Inventory, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Safety, and Environmental teams

• HR, Finance, and Corporate Support Functions

External

• Customers 

• Suppliers and Vendors 

• Contractors 

• Regulatory Authorities

• Port of Coos Bay, Coos Bay Rail Line, harbor safety and emergency-response organizations, marine and dock service providers, utility providers, and local community stakeholders, as applicable to the Coos Bay site

VALUE PEOPLE | WORK SAFELY

• Demonstrate a commitment to the safety of all GMA employees by promoting safety as a core GMA value.

• Comply with applicable occupational safety and health laws and obligations.

• Act consistently with the GMA Occupational Health and Safety Policy and other company policies, procedures and guidelines.

VALUES AND BEHAVIOURS 

Encompass GMA’s core values of Teamwork, Care, Trust, Excellence, Determination and Entrepreneurship in everyday work and behaviors.

SKILLS AND SELECTION CRITERIA | RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience. 

• 7–10+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, industrial minerals, aggregates, mining, or other heavy industrial processing environments, including multi-shift operations.

• Proven experience managing production, safety, quality, budgets, people, maintenance and reliability, inventory, and logistics performance.

• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills. 

• Proficiency with production systems, ERP, CMMS, spreadsheets, and reporting tools; ability to use data and dashboards to drive operational decisions.

• Demonstrated experience with OSHA/EHS compliance, contractor management, incident investigation, and continuous improvement methods such as Lean, Six Sigma, or similar problem-solving disciplines.

• Experience with MSHA-regulated operations, Federal OSHA requirements, dock or marine terminal operations, emergency response coordination, and local stakeholder management is preferred for the Coos Bay, Oregon site.

POSITION DIMENSIONS 

• Reports to: VP Operations

• Direct Reports: Site supervisors and/or functional leads across operations, maintenance, warehouse, and quality, depending on site structure